


Music Theory 101

by sushiisaurus



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drama, Drinking, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff, HeartSoulshipping - Freeform, Hoennshipping, I tried my best, Insomnia, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Namelessshipping, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Swearing, Texting, and a kinky mf, blue and leaf are best friends, blue is bad at feelings, but he's whipped for red and horny, did I mention slow burn, ethan is a gamer, incorrect use of medical and musical terminology, may and brendan are engaged, more tags to be added later, red is bad at feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:54:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26209033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushiisaurus/pseuds/sushiisaurus
Summary: Blue is studying to become a doctor and one day take over his grandfather's hospital. He graduated high school early, he likes his alone time and consistently studies so he doesn't get a grade lower than an A. He is self-disciplined, he knows he's smart and he works hard to achieve his goals. When he meets Red, he can't figure out why he can't take his eyes off of him. As the two get closer together, Blue sees that there's more than meets the eye to the music major and he begins to question what he truly desires.-or-The namelessship college AU that no one asked for.(temporary hiatus)
Relationships: Haruka | May/Yuuki | Brendan, Hibiki | Ethan/Kotone | Lyra, Ookido Green | Blue Oak/Red
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28





	1. Espressivo da Capo

**Author's Note:**

> idk if a college au is overused or not. If it is then oh well, this was in my head and plot bunnies took over.
> 
> Some characters will be slightly ooc from their in-game counterparts and other characters literally just have their names and faces and act completely different. That said, I love them all so I'm sorry if your favorite character is a dick (please don't hurt me).
> 
> Also I've never written smut so I'm using this fic as practice. You can judge me later.
> 
>  **Warnings:** strong language, alcohol, incorrect medical and musical terminology (I tried to use the right terms), eventual smut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Espressivo da Capo:**   
>  _“expressive, from the beginning”_

"I need your voice."

"Go find someone else."

Blue picked up the cardboard cup of lukewarm, black coffee in one hand and the other typed away at the keyboard of his laptop. _This economics essay will be the death of me._

The stranger moved and pulled up a chair at the half-empty table. The loud screech of the metal legs echoed against the walls until he sat down across from him, most of his face hidden by the screen of the computer.

Blue winced at the shrill noise and set his cup down. "There are plenty of other _empty_ tables for you to sit down," he told him, annoyed. It was a more polite way to tell the stranger to kindly fuck off.

The coffee shop they were in was nearly empty, especially at one in the afternoon and during another day of snowfall, hardly anyone went outside in this weather. It was quiet, surprisingly quieter than any library Blue had tried to run off to study before and people generally left him alone thanks to Lyra's claim that he had resting bitch face. He didn't mind so long as it meant people left him alone.

He liked being alone, it gave him space to think and to relax. It gave him time to study and do his homework. _Procrastination is a bitch._

That was the reason why he sat there in the uncomfortable chair in front of his half-charged laptop three days before the essay was due. He didn't have the time to look up and see who was bothering him and he was annoyed enough as it was. "I'm sure someone else can help you with your problem," he answered dryly.

"Yours is the best one I've heard."

This wasn't the first time the same person came to him asking for his voice. He'd come here yesterday, subconsciously humming a tune that was playing in his earbuds at the time until he found himself being stared at by this stranger and suddenly asked that question the first time. "Look, I have a paper to write, and I really need to get it finished before Friday."

There was a pause. "Why did you wait until now to get it started?"

Finally, Blue turned his eyes up to get a good look at him. The first thing that popped in his mind was, _Holy fuck, he's hot._ He couldn't stop staring at his crimson eyes that were watching him calmly as could be and a face that could have been sculpted by Hephaestus himself. Other than that, he wore a thick and heavy black jacket with a cream-colored scarf wrapped loosely around his neck and a black beanie that sat on the top of his raven-colored head like it had been especially made for him (but Blue was pretty sure he could buy the same one at a local department store).

He couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen the guy around somewhere before, and it nagged at his mind and decided he'd have to ask before that feeling would gnaw away at his head all day. "Have we met before?" he finally answered.

Hot man pouted. "I'm sad you don't recognize me. We are in the same class, have been since the beginning of the year."

Blue sat there staring until his mouth opened slightly with a quiet 'oh' coming out. How did he miss him in class? It didn't take long but Blue recognized him as the classmate who was always quiet and in the back corner farthest from the door, the one who just nodded if someone said something to him. Honestly, he and the rest of the class were beginning to think he was a mute. "Red, right?"

He nodded.

"So, you can talk?"

"I don't see how that's relevant to anything we were discussing, but yes, I can talk."

"None of us have ever heard you talk."

"I don't have to talk if I don't want to." Red leaned forward and his deep voice, added softly, "I'm talking to you now."

An unintentional shiver went up his spine. _The hell was that for?_ "I wonder if genies are real. Then I could wish you away."

"You're the one who decided to wait until the last minute to do a three-thousand word paper. You have no sympathy from me." He leaned back, wrapping his cold fingers around his own cup of hot coffee, trying to warm himself up.

Blue was already irritated again, his fascination that his classmate could indeed talk faded quickly. He rubbed at his temples with both hands, then stared at the screen. He'd only written three hundred and forty two words, counting his name, class, professor and assignment title.

"I'll help you do your paper if you come to my dorm and record some songs."

It sounded _extremely_ tempting. So tempting, in fact, he had to stop everything he was doing for a moment. Would he really do his work for him? All he wanted from him was to sing, and he could do that in a few seconds to get out of a few days work. Hell, he could even start studying for that calculus quiz that was scheduled for Monday…

Suddenly, he decided against it. The professor was incredibly smart, he'd be able to recognize that it wasn't his writing style that was written on the document. Besides, he hadn't sung in years and he would probably sound like an amateur now. He shook his head and asked, "Why are you even taking economics? That isn't your major, is it?"

"It isn't yours, either."

He was mildly surprised as he nearly choked on his coffee. "How did you know that?"

"You said it at the beginning of the semester that you are studying neuroscience. Following in the footsteps of your grandpa and needed to learn how to keep the hospital funded." He shrugged. "Something along those lines."

"Do you have like, a photographic memory or something? Or are you a stalker?" _Stalker, definitely a stalker. Probably should call the police._

"No, but some people tend to stand out more than others." He took a sip of his drink, hissing softly when it simply burned his tongue. He dug for something in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small notepad and pen, wrote something down and tore the paper off. "Stop by sometime. I never go anywhere, so I'm always there or in class."

He folded the paper in half and pushed it towards Blue. As quietly as he'd stormed in on Blue's writing, he left without another word and walked out into the cold.

Blue watched him from his seat through the window, snorting as Red zipped his jacket all the way up to protect himself from the icy wind. Once the man was out of sight, he took the piece of paper and opened it up then scowled at the address that was written on it. "As if," he mumbled quietly.

Two days and a finished economics paper later, he was standing outside of an old, red brick seven-story apartment building and cursing himself for coming out here in below-freezing weather. At least it stopped snowing a half hour ago. He stuffed his hands into his pockets for extra warmth as he grumpily walked towards the elevator doors to take to the fourth floor only to find it was broken and grumbled as he took the stairs.

Apartment 428 was at the end of the outside hall facing the street but since the curtains were closed, he had no idea if anyone was home. It wasn't like he had Red's Friday class schedule, he could be at the campus right now taking some history lesson for all he knew. He knocked anyway.

There was silence on the other side and he tried again, then heard something crashing inside, causing him to jump. Was this a good time to drop by unannounced? The door opened a crack, enough for him to see bleary golden-brown eyes to stare at him. "Who're you?" the resident asked, rubbing his eyes.

 _Just waking up… at twelve-thirty?_ Blue tried not to think about it. "He might've given me the wrong address, but I'm looking for Red," he answered.

"Red? He's my roommate." He eyed him suspiciously but nodded to himself and opened the door wider and Blue coughed into his hand when he saw that he was wearing just a t-shirt and gray boxers. "I guess you can come in, it's warmer in here. He should be back from his classes soon."

Blue nodded and stepped inside, thankful for the heat and tried not to look at the kid, although he didn't seem like he cared. Noticing the shoes by the door, he took his boots off and he nearly winced at the cold hardwood floor that pierced through his thick socks.

The stranger yawned and closed the door, putting the lock back into place after. As tired as he seemed, he was at least polite enough to offer him something to drink as he wandered into the kitchen. "Want something to drink?" The young man made a disgusted face as he pulled out an open can of beer. "Throw it away if you don't finish it," he mumbled to himself then dumped the liquid into the sink before throwing the can away.

He looked around the apartment, noting the large television and couch that was in front of it, as well as the glass top coffee table that sat between them. There was a small dining area that had a small round table with two chairs, both mismatched. The hall seemed cramped with a brown end table at the back of the hall and a set of different candles that sat on it. "No, thanks." He turned his head back to his host. "He didn't say anything about me?"

"Nope, he just hides in his room most of the time with his headphones on or he's out here playing video games with me. He sucks at them, by the way. If you make a bet, always try to make him play a video game, ninety-percent chance he'll lose."

"What about the other ten percent?"

"He's a fucking beast at strategy games."

Blue took his jacket off and slung it on the back of the couch, watching the kid as he went to a room and he could safely assume it was his own as he heard the bed creaking as the younger sat on it. He looked around awkwardly, scratching his head. At least the place was clean, he'd seen how Brendan lived and it wasn't the tidiest of places he'd been to.

After five minutes of sitting on the comfortable couch and staring at his phone, the lock on the door jiggled before it opened. Red stepped inside with a grateful noise as he got out of the cold then looked up, slightly surprised to see Blue and he closed the door behind him. "I didn't think you'd actually come," he admitted, hanging his keys by the door. "Did Ethan bother you at all?"

Blue shook his head anyway and put his phone into his back pocket. "Nah, it's all good."

"I don't hit on strangers, unlike _someone_ I know!" Ethan shouted from his room. Blue knew he was taking a jab on his roommate though Red ignored him as he pulled his jacket and scarf off.

He dumped his things behind the couch and walked to the closed door at the hall, opening it and stepped inside. Blue said nothing as he followed him, cursing his curiosity as he glanced inside. Red's bedroom was not was what he was expecting. Sure, there was a bed with a pillow and blankets, but right beside it was a black room divider that cut the rest of the room off. "Close the door behind you."

He obeyed and followed him as he opened the room divider enough for them to squeeze through. The walls on this side of the room were covered with black foam, the same went for the other half of the room divider. "Why is there foam on the wall?" Blue asked as Red sat down on the simple black office chair and turned on a computer.

"It cuts a lot of noise out. Helps neighbors sleep and not file another complaint."

"How many have you gotten?"

"A lot."

Blue snorted. He could see why, there were strange machines that sat next to the dual-screen monitors and an electric piano that sat within arm's reach of the chair. A guitar also sat on the side of the wall alongside a box with various wires and other devices inside. "Let me take a wild guess: you are majoring in music."

Red nodded once.

Blue stepped closer, nearly leaning on the back of the office chair, afraid to touch anything. It all looked very expensive and if he touched it, he felt like it would break without hesitation. He watched as Red clicked a strange icon and started a program that Blue could never hope to learn. They were in a comfortable silence for now as he watched the man work his magic on the computer for a few minutes and once a strange program was loaded, he pulled out a pair of red over-the-ear headphones from the bottom drawer to his left. _Heh, ironic,_ Blue thought.

He backed up in surprise as the chair suddenly turned around and its occupant stood up. "Here, listen to this and tell me what you think about it," he said suddenly and plugged in the headphones and handed them to him once he sat down.

"I thought I was here because you wanted my voice," Blue stated as he put the headphones on.

"Sure, but I want you to listen to the melody beforehand."

 _I guess it makes sense._ He wouldn't admit it out loud and when Red pushed the 'play' button, he sat there, staring at the screen of gibberish as he heard the calm beat and how the harmony worked perfectly with the melody. It felt calming, not at all what he expected Red to produce.

When it was over, he felt like he'd been run over by a roller coaster of emotions. _What the hell?_ He sat there for a good few seconds to process what he'd just heard and finally nodded when he took the headphones off. "It's good. Really good." At least he was honest. "It feels like it's missing something though," he told Red once the song was finished.

Red flashed a grin. "Which is where you come in," he said and pulled out a green binder, flipping through a couple pages then stopped. "Do you know how to read music?"

"The basics."

A brow quirked as he continued to stare at him. "How basic?"

"Eh… y'know, go faster?"

Red was silent.

"Piano, cello? Zoom zoom?"

"You don't know anything, do you?"

Blue shook his head for confirmation. "I don't know shit."

"Didn't they teach you in grade school?"

"Never paid attention. Besides, I'm a science major, not an arts major."

He shrugged it off. "I'll teach you."

"What if I don't want to learn?"

"Then why did you come here?"

Blue stopped, he had him there.

And he knew it; he didn't miss the smirk on Red's face as he went back to flipping through the pages. _Fucking sly devil,_ he thought bitterly. He knew nothing about reading music, much less producing it. He'd never taken proper singing lessons either, so hell if he knew why Red chose to use his untrained voice instead of asking any of his fellow musicians for theirs.

Red stopped flipping pages and turned it around so he could hand it to Blue. "My friend wrote the lyrics. Everything else is from yours truly."

"Your friend is good at this too?"

"Just the writing part. She doesn't have a good voice like you do."

 _Here we go again with the voice._ "You have a really weird obsession with my voice."

Red threw his hands up in defense. "I dunno what you're thinking of but it's perfect for the song. You have a breathy voice, not high-pitched and annoyingly screechy like Ethan."

"If he annoys you so much why do you live with him?"

"Our moms know each other."

"They pay the rent?"

"They pay the rent."

Blue checked his phone and stuffed it back into his pocket. "I have to go soon, I can't be late to class again or the professor will kill me. You done with classes today?"

He received a nod in response.

"If I do this for you, you need to do something for me."

Red rose a brow, looking up at him once he stood.

 _Thank god I'm taller,_ Blue couldn't help to think. He felt a bit of satisfaction from it for no reason. _No reason, my ass._ "A friend of mine wants me to go to a bar tonight, and I don't want to go by myself. So you come out of your hidey hole and come with me tonight and I'll help you. Deal?" Brendan was bringing May to the bar, and he just didn't feel like being a third-wheel _again._ All they did was suck each other's faces over half the time anyway.

He shrugged. "I guess."

Blue could see he didn't want to go and he smirked as he pulled out his phone. "A favor for a favor. I'll text you details later." He tapped a few buttons, ending with 'Create New Contact' and handed it to Red.

The man slowly typed his information in and handed it back. "Ethan might tag along, hopefully he'll stay here though."

"He doesn't look old enough."

"He may look like a little kid, but he's not." He stood up, leading Blue out to the living room.

Blue shrugged and pulled his boots and jacket back on. "I'll be by around seven. The bar isn't far from here, so we can walk there."

"Not like either of us have cars."

He laughed. "Guess not."

Blue left after that, hugging his jacket closer to himself as the chilly air bit at his exposed skin. When he reached the stairs and started to descend them, he sighed with anticipation. He didn't know why he felt suddenly excited about tonight. It certainly wasn't because he had a hot date to bring with him. No, that certainly wasn't it.

Definitely not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments feed me! Let me know what you think about this fic, it encourages me to write even more with feedback :)
> 
> I am on twitter @sushiisaurus come follow for updates on fics and pictures of my cat!
> 
> Update: I got a piece of fanart of this chapter the first time I posted the fic. Thank you **tatertotart**!! Check them out on tumblr @tatertotart!


	2. Giocoso

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Giocoso:** _fun, carefree_

"Are you trying to get laid 'cause that outfit makes your ass look really good."

Blue took off the dark green dress shirt he pulled from the closet and stifled a groan of frustration. No, he was not trying to get laid, he just needed to look good for going out and it was too cold to wear his favorite pair of capris at this time of year.

Why was it so hard to get dressed? All he was doing was going to the bar with friends, have a few drinks, then come home and study. "I've told you a million times, I won't do a one night stand," he answered. He then narrowed his eyes as he looked at his friend. "And can you put on some damn pants already?"

A young woman sat on his bed, her bare legs crossed as she watched him mindlessly toss the shirt to the side and wander to find another one. "Pants are for losers like you." She laid down on her stomach, grabbing a pillow and stuffed it underneath her head for support. She didn't even bother pulling her white v-neck shirt down to hide her pink underwear. "It's not like you have any other friends that will help you pick an outfit for your date."

He knew he shouldn't have told her about Red, it was a recipe for disaster and he should have foreseen her getting even more excited about going out with someone else other than herself or Lyra. He didn't even ask for her help on an outfit, he simply mentioned he was going out. She showed up at his door not even twenty minutes later to help him pick an outfit out although at this point, it felt more like she was using him as a mannequin to test other get-ups for future occasions. "Leaf, it isn't a date. He's just a guy from class that I invited to a bar."

"Mm-hmm," she said disbelievingly. "He totally thinks the same way as you do."

He frowned at her sarcasm and retorted, "I hardly even know him!"

He had known Leaf all his life, the two were basically siblings at this point and he was happy when she told him she would be attending the same college to study dance; he would at least know one person on the giant campus. Despite all these years he'd known her, he didn't fully support the idea of her wandering around his apartment half-naked when she was over. Plus, they bickered like they were still children.

Leaf shrugged, then pointed to the open closet door. "That gray shirt, try it on with the blue jeans. No, not the ugly ripped ones, those only look good with the lighter shirts. Actually, get the skinny black pair."

"I tried that shirt on _and_ these pants a thousand times already."

"Not together, you haven't."

He didn't even bother trying to hide his groan of irritation and grabbed the clothes and tried not to break the hangers that held them. _I shouldn't have let her in._

She watched him as he put on said items, using one hand to prop her head up and the other still on the pillow. He'd stopped trying to get her out of his room so he could change, she told him it would be easier on both of them if she just stayed in his room. "So he's a music major and you're going to the bar with him in exchange for your singing?"

"Yup. Has a professional setup and all this fancy equipment in his room too."

She suddenly grinned, her teeth flashing mischievously. "You've been in his room? My, you two are moving awfully fast. You should put the ass pants back on instead."

Blue instantly scowled at her. "We didn't do anything, you nasty pervert."

"That's what they all say."

He rolled his eyes again as he zipped the jeans up and turned around. "Why do I even bother with you?"

"You love me, that's why." She gave him a scrutinizing look and sat up, holding the pillow close to herself for warmth.

 _If you're cold put some pants on,_ he thought with a roll of his eyes.

"Why do you have that shirt? It doesn't match with anything you try on. It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen on you."

He glanced at the long-sleeve shirt. It was one of his favorites and it was an added bonus that it kept him warm on cold nights like this. If he wore this, he wouldn't even need the undershirt he was wearing and he turned his gaze towards her. "What? It's comfy!"

She shook her head and glared at the shirt as if it came from Hell. "I will _not_ see my best friend go out in public looking like a hobo."

Blue looked at his shirt again. _She thinks this makes me look like a hobo?_ He wore it at the café and Red hadn't said anything about it. Maybe his laptop hid his shirt? Impossible, he stood up and could clearly see over the laptop so he must've seen the shirt—

His thoughts stopped there as he frowned at himself. Since when did he care what someone else thought about what he wore?

"Keep those pants on and put the green shirt back on. That one actually looked good."

Once he had it on and buttoned up, he turned around to face her and rose his arms a bit so she could see how it looked on him. He quickly decided to leave the shirt untucked and rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. Fed up with all the outfit changes, he told her, "If you say no one more time, I swear to god I'm never buying you Chinese food again."

"Now that is a threat I'm not willing to risk."

"Thought so."

She got up and dropped the pillow back onto his bed. Once she was next to him, Blue stood still so she could work her magic by fixing the collar and undid the top two buttons of his shirt, exposing some of his skin (more than he wanted).

Despite trying to fool himself into thinking he didn't like her, she always did drop whatever she was doing and came over to help, whatever the occasion was. He felt lucky to have her for a friend even if she was constantly making him undress and dress in different outfits. "You need something else…" She snapped her fingers. "Ah! I have the perfect thing!" She reached around her neck and took the necklace off of her. "This would look amazing."

Blue had to bend over so she could reach around his neck and tie the necklace. "You are really short," he teased and she scoffed at him.

"I can strangle you right now with a string."

He chuckled, knowing she was average height while he was a little on the tall side, reaching an even six feet. Once she had finished tying the necklace, he straightened himself up and took the pendant in his hand. It was a simple piece of jewelry: a thin, black string tied to the fake gold pendant and Blue was surprised it was even comfortable. "Are you sure this looks good?" he asked, still doubting how it would look and let the pendant go.

"Don't question my judgement. You can keep it, too. It looks better on you."

"You've had this for years, though."

"It was like, five bucks so I don't really care." She pushed him towards the mirror in the bathroom. "Go look. And brush your hair while you're at it!"

"You can't fix this!" he cried, pointing to his hair as he went to the bathroom anyway.

Once he saw himself, he stared at the reflection. He didn't look half-bad, if he said so himself. He ran a hand through his unruly hair and tried to tame it enough so it wasn't as messy, though it was a useless effort. He gave up and washed his face instead, relief flooding through him suddenly. He didn't have to stand there for another hour trying to decide what he wanted to wear, he believed it was the only plus of having Leaf over.

He looked up in the mirror as he dried his face, seeing Leaf leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. "Thanks, I guess," he said to her, hanging the towel back up.

"You're welcome, I guess," she mocked and stretched, raising her arms above her head. "Tell me you're putting on cologne."

"Duh."

"Use that stuff I gave to you for your birthday. I know you haven't used it."

"I only use that one for special occasions."

"And this isn't considered one?"

He pulled out the cologne anyway, pulling the bottle out of the box and after he sprayed some on himself, he pointed it at her, smirking as he sprayed her once. She shrieked, jumping away and he laughed as she glared at him. "It's what you get for putting me through all that."

He walked back into his room, hearing her say something about putting on the white sneakers on instead of his warm boots (then going on about fashion over warmth). Once he'd tied the laces, he checked his phone for the time, put his black leather jacket and a gray scarf on. "I gotta go. Get your pants on and get out."

Leaf huffed at him but obeyed, putting her long tan trench coat and light blue hat on, and she looked happy her ears were covered as soon as they stepped outside. "You better text me the details when you get home tonight," she told him as they walked downstairs to the first floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I will. Tell Lyra I say hi."

She nodded, hugged him and said her good-bye. She turned and walked the opposite direction he was going towards her own apartment she shared with the other girl and he watched as she disappeared around the corner a minute later, leaving him alone on the empty street.

To be honest, he was grateful for her help, as difficult as it had been. He probably would have gone out in his normal comfort clothes but after he told her that, she threw a fit by saying that it wasn't "Friday-night appropriate" and instantly pushed him into his room to get his good clothes on.

It was dark by the time he reached Red's place fifteen minutes later and after he exited the elevator, he saw light streaming from his window and he shivered as he knocked, the bottom half of his face hidden behind the scarf. _Why does it have to be so fucking cold? I miss summer._

The door opened and while Ethan answered it again, he seemed far more chipper than when he'd first met him earlier that day and he gave him a smile as he let him. "What is it with you people never wearing pants?" Blue asked, noticing he was dressed in his boxers and black t-shirt.

"Huh?" Ethan blurted as the taller man stepped inside. Unlike earlier, the coffee table had a couple of empty beer cans, and he had a feeling that it hadn't been consumed by one person.

Red stepped out of his room and closed the door behind him just as Ethan closed the door behind him. Suddenly Blue didn't feel like he was overdressed anymore when he saw that he was in a casual black blazer with its collar popped over a red shirt with two undone buttons at the top as well as a pair of dark blue jeans and black belt that held them up. "You seem like the kind of guy who doesn't get out much," Blue told him.

"He doesn't," Ethan answered. "He literally stays at home all the time and has people deliver food for him if he gets lazy and doesn't want to cook." He grinned at his roommate. "You'd starve without me."

"Highly doubt it," Red said in that ( _sexy_ ) deep voice of his and sat down to put his shoes on.

"I'd go with you," Ethan motioned towards the console, "but this competitive match is calling me."

Red didn't answer as the youngest leaped onto the couch from behind and pulled a bright green headset on and started talking to the other people playing with him.

Blue could easily see that Red could care less about the game as he put the jacket, scarf and hat on from earlier. Once he pocketed his keys and wallet, he led the way out and Blue was a little disappointed they were going outside again; he'd just begun to get warm again. He was also thankful Ethan was staying home for the night. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like him very much, especially if he started drinking.

Once outside and walking down the street towards the bar about two miles away, Blue glanced at his companion. "I feel bad you have to deal with him all the time," he said. "Almost, but not quite."

Red gave a sigh and Blue could've sworn he was glaring at the snow on the ground as he thought about his roommate. "He's annoying. I've known him since he was six and he's never changed," he answered.

He chuckled to himself. "I have a friend like that. But I like I like her a lot more than you like Ethan."

"Lucky you." As they stopped at a corner and waited for the light to flash green for them to go ahead and walk, he glanced at him. Blue stood maybe an inch taller than he, but it didn't seem to bother him as he asked, "Did she help you get dressed?"

 _I knew it, he's the hot stalker a mile from my place._ "Yes. How'd you know?"

"Just a guess."

 _'Guess' means stalker._ "How do you guess things so easily?" He was genuinely curious, Red's assumptions hadn't been wrong yet.

Red shrugged as the light turned and they started to walk again, passing by other pedestrians crossing the street. "It's easy to read people's faces. Most of the time, I make guesses that are wrong." After they were on the other side of the street and continued to walk, he asked, "What are your friends like?"

Blue rubbed his head. "Brendan and May are a couple. They like to invite me to a lot of different places then ditch me halfway through whatever we're doing."

He couldn't stop a frown from forming on his face. "They don't sound like very good friends then."

He laughed, earning himself a curious look from his companion. "They're good people, I swear. That only happened once and I've known them for four years. Brendan is actually studying to be a fashion designer and May is trying to become a veterinarian. He's here to stay, she's doing her pre-reqs here then going off to Azalea University soon."

Red looked impressed, looking ahead to watch where they were going. "It's hard to get into Azalea. Not a school for me, though."

Blue couldn't blame him. Not only was the tuition extremely high, the school didn't center itself around the arts. It was also extremely difficult to get in, out of the hundreds that applied, maybe ten were accepted each year. Most programs in the school would take multiple years to finish anyway.

May was not only smart and aced each of her entrance exams (Brendan told him she had to take the math test twice, they didn't believe she got a one hundred percent), but she had worked hard enough to receive five scholarships to sponsor her to get in. They had a party the night everyone found out and while Blue blacked out for the last half, he did remember waking up half-naked with a lampshade on his head in the living room with a green haired guy his age passed out next to him.

"Will you go there too?"

"Haven't thought about it. It does have the best medical program in the country. Also, my Gramps is an alumni so I might go there, too. This place doesn't have a bad program, though and it's cheaper."

They talked as they walked, and Blue found that he enjoyed his company and the simple conversation they were having. He found out Red was an only child and was two months older than he was though he was surprised to hear he was also from Pallet Town. He'd assumed he knew all the other kids that lived there until Red revealed he had been home schooled until he was in high school and then it all made sense in Blue's mind since he went to high school in Viridian City.

Once they reached the bar, he looked up at the flashing neon signs that advertised to the world that they were open. He could hear the loud bass from outside and was impressed that the dark windows weren't shaking at all from the noise.

Suddenly, a soft pair of gloved hands covered his eyes and for a moment he was startled until he heard Brendan's voice say, "May, he knows it's you."

"Yeah, because you ruined it," she answered and removed her hands. He could almost hear her glare.

Red was blinking at the newcomers as Blue turned around to see the two behind them. May smiled, waving with one gloved hand and the other holding onto Brendan's. The two looked stunning to say in the least, with Brendan wearing a black turtleneck sweater underneath a long black blazer-jacket and maroon scarf as well as a white hat that covered his dark hair. May looked similar with a long white sweater on over her deep blue dress. "Wow, you two are actually here on time for once," Blue said. _Dressed up,_ he didn't add.

"Excuse me, we were here first freezing our asses off and you didn't see us," Brendan interrupted though May was giggling then they looked at Red. "You must be his friend."

Blue smirked at Red, seeing him trying to decide if he was annoyed or not with the happy couple. _It's what you get for hounding me for two days to sing for you._

"I'm May and this is Brendan." She offered her hand to shake and Red took it as well as Brendan's when offered.

"Red," he finally said.

"Now that introductions are over, let's get inside, I'm cold," Blue interrupted and headed for the door, opening and holding the door open for them.

As they walked in, he looked around and was relieved to see a free table, waving the others over as they claimed it and took off their jackets. Blue knew he would get very warm very shortly as more people would arrive later in the night. He was glad that it wasn't too busy just yet, the people who truly loved to party would start coming in around ten, and by that time, they would probably be out of there.

"Hey, can you get me my usual?" May asked Brendan and he nodded, giving her a light kiss on the cheek as he stood up.

"Wanna come with, Red? I'll pay," he offered.

Red instantly nodded and glanced at Blue. If he didn't have to pay for the first round, he didn't mind. Who would say no to a free drink? "What do you want?"

"I didn't say I'd pay for him!" Brendan instantly objected but he went ignored.

"Just a beer. Any is fine."

He nodded and the two wandered off to the counter to order their drinks.

"I'm impressed," May teased once they were out of ear-shot, a grin plastered on her face. "I didn't know how fine your tastes were. His ass is nice."

No, he was not blushing. "What are you talking about? I just invited him 'cause I don't want to be alone and watch you and Brendan make out all night," he objected and leaned back in the seat he was in.

It seemed like she wasn't listening and they looked at Brendan and Red as the two talked (though it seemed like it was Brendan doing the speaking). "Right. You two didn't dress up because you aren't on a date. _Totally_ believe you."

He decided to ignore her after that, subconsciously taking a peanut from the bowl on the table and popped it into his mouth. When looked away from Red, he wondered what was going on with him, a strange feeling building in his chest. It was almost like something in his stomach was fluttering and stopped once he gulped the peanut down. _Am I hallucinating now?_

He snuck another glance towards the other pair and while he realized he was staring at Red's back he didn't notice his own eyes drifting lower. _She's right. He does have a nice ass._ He almost smacked himself and forced himself to look away again. No, he was not on a double-date with the happiest couple on earth. He was here to have fun with friends and have a few drinks.

When he had torn his eyes away, he noticed May putting away her phone. He was about to ask her what she was doing until she told him, "I thought you were already taken. We both assumed you and Leaf were a thing."

Blue shuddered, disgusted by the thought. "Leaf and I will never be a thing." He made a face. "Ever."

She laughed at his reaction. "You two are really close, though."

"Men and women can't be best friends?"

"I never said that. But you two are so comfortable with each other, you might as well get married."

Blue rolled his eyes. It really was annoying when people told him that; most of the time when he went out with Leaf by himself, people usually assumed they were a couple by the way they acted. Apparently Brendan and May were not an exception. Instead of talking about Leaf, he changed the subject as he grabbed another peanut. "Are you here for next semester too?"

May nodded. "One more then I'm off to Azalea." She pointed a finger at him. "You have to promise me to keep Brendan in check. Lord knows what he'll do without me for a full year."

He nodded. He would, at least when he wasn't studying his ass off. "You can always come out during summer break."

She shook her head. "I'm taking summer classes, and I won't have enough money to fly out all the way here more than twice. I'll see him during spring break then the next guaranteed time is winter." She pouted. "I'll miss him, but we both know it's good for us. He finishes all his classes next winter semester, and when he's done he'll come and move to Azalea with me and we'll probably find a house there until I graduate."

He was impressed that they had that much planned out already and he knew that was putting it mildly. The two didn't have wealthy families like he did (he thanked whoever above for that) and they were both hundreds of miles from their home, if not more, and he knew Brendan didn't have a great relationship with his parents anyway. Both of them had worked their asses off to get to where they were now and he couldn't help but feel proud of them.

He already knew where he was going to and what he was going to do. His grandfather expected him to take over the hospital a few years after he was done with school and was the one that pushed him into neurology. At first Blue had hated it but after the first few classes and even observing the hospital work during the summer breaks, he wasn't displeased with the choice at all.

With a smile he said, "Wow. Hopefully everything works out as planned. I'm rooting for you two."

She giggled and fidgeted a bit in her seat, causing Blue to raise a brow as she put her white gloves on the table. She was never like this, she was always calm and collected. Seeing her giddy like this made him curious. "I think it will."

They looked up as Brendan and Red returned, each holding a drink in either hand. "You're lucky I like you enough to buy you a drink," Brendan told Blue, though the latter knew he wasn't mad or even annoyed. It was difficult to irritate the man and even Leaf had tried (she knew how to get on Blue's last nerve and reveled in pissing him off) but failed miserably and eventually gave up all together. "There is a reason we asked you to join us tonight of all nights, not just for the free drink," he added.

Blue rose a brow. "Oh? And why's that?"

The couple looked at each other and suddenly put on bright smiles as May said loudly, "We're engaged!" She showed her left hand and revealed the ring that decorated it. It was a simple diamond ring with a silver band, small enough so it wouldn't get in the way of the many labs May had to do from time to time.

"It was bound to happen eventually, you filthy lovebirds," Blue teased instead and laughed as Brendan kicked his leg. "Ow! Don't kick me!" He bent down enough to rub his sore shin. "Congrats is what I mean to say."

"Thank you," Brendan told him.

Red sat there and Blue noticed he looked awkward as he offered his congratulations as well then took a long drink of his light brown drink, sighing after he pulled it away from his lips.

"Sorry, I didn't know this would happen either," he whispered to him while May and Brendan were busy kissing each other.

Red shook his head. "It's okay. I'm happy for them."

He snorted. "You look more like a lost little kid in the middle of a store."

"At least you agreed to sing for me for my amazing presence." He smirked as he took another large gulp of his drink and Blue rolled his eyes at him. Whatever he was drinking, it was apparently very strong when he winced as he swallowed but he kept going back for more while Brendan laughed as he noticed.

 _Music really is the only thing on his mind._ He guessed that ruled out the stalker accusations. They all sat at the table for a good half hour talking and enjoying themselves until May stood up to get another drink, dragging Brendan with her. His own glass was empty, as was Red's and he glanced at him. "What was that drink you got?" he asked.

Red looked at him as if he had heard him speak gibberish. "You don't know what a long island iced tea is?"

"Uh, no, not really. I go out but I hardly ever go to bars."

Something akin to horrific glee flashed across Red's eyes, though he seemed to be struggling not to smile and Blue couldn't help but feel nervous. "I'll get one for you. Wait here."

He watched him get up and he sat there, confused. What on earth was he up to? He watched him and turned back around in his seat as Brendan and May came back, carrying three drinks: one that was a pink frozen drink large enough for all four of them and even had four straws. Were they in on this too? "What are you people trying to do to me?" he asked.

Without missing a beat, Brendan answered, "Trying to get you shit-faced."

"A drunk Blue is a funny Blue," May added with a grin.

He rolled his eyes. "Drunk Blue doesn't like hangovers."

"So? Last time you got drunk was years ago and you still refuse to drink straight tequila."

Brendan motioned towards the drink in the middle of the table. "Therefore, giant watermelon margarita," he said.

Blue shuddered at the memory, causing the couple to burst out laughing. "It wasn't me who took that lampshade! I'll bet you anything it was Leaf and put it on me on purpose!"

"What about a lampshade?" Red asked when he came back, holding two of the same drink, one strangely lighter than the other and he handed the lighter one to Blue.

"Don't tell him," Blue snapped at a grinning Brendan and set his fresh drink down. "I swear if you tell him, I'm going to kick you so hard, your balls will come out your ass."

His friend laughed hard enough for his face to turn red, and Blue knew it was because of the alcohol; he never would have laughed that hard if he were sober. He'd always been a lightweight and tonight was special so it was very likely the couple would get too drunk to even walk home by themselves. After he was done he asked, "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

Red pouted. "But I want to know."

"Don't you give me that face." _Your face doesn't look like it can pull a cute face, so how is that possible?_ "And you, don't influence him," he added to May as she grinned. He then looked at his new drink and he could smell all the alcohol coming from the cup before he even picked it up. Whatever was in here smelled so strong, he doubted he'd be able to finish it.

"Try it, it's actually really good," Red encouraged.

He narrowed his eyes at him. "That doesn't make me feel very confident," he answered. When he did take a sip, he coughed and while Brendan and May laughed at him, he looked at Red with a glare, though with the smile that was on his face, he realized he did that on purpose. He _knew_ he had been up to something! "What the hell is in this?"

"Gin, vodka, triple sec, to name a few and then a splash of coke for color."

 _What color?_ Blue's throat still burned. "Did you tell the bartender to make it with double shots or something?"

He winked at him (no, Blue's heart didn't flutter) and answered in a sing-song voice, "Maybe."

Blue figured the more this man drank, the more mischief he enjoyed placing upon others. He just hoped he wouldn't be his only target tonight.

"If you can't drink it, we can switch. He made mine the normal way." He switched glasses for him anyway and Blue had to guess if he just liked extra shots in his anyway.

"Hey, don't you two forget this giant, _frozen_ margarita that's in the middle," May interrupted. "You have to help us drink it before it melts!"

Eventually they did finish it, and Blue felt happier than he had in a very long time after he was finished with his "tea" as well as two other drinks that he had no idea what was in them. Every drink Red recommended came out more amazing than the previous, and he wondered if that was the alcohol talking or not but decided he didn't care. _Nope, it's the alcohol. Ha, blame it on the a-a-a-alcohol, baby._ His thoughts caused him to laugh out loud and the others laughed at him for it.

An hour and a half later, the couple sitting across him decided to go dance, running off to the dance floor in the back with all the other people that were dancing. Once they'd disappeared into the sweaty crowd, Blue sighed in content. "Y'know," he started, "I think… mm, I think that I'm a damn lightweight too."

Red looked amused, his face flushed pink. "Yeah, yeh are," he replied. Blue knew he wasn't doing much better than he was.

"Also, thanks fer comin' with me." He meant it, as drunk as he was. "I don't think I, uh, would want t' be here by myself."

"Yer're welcome."

Blue grinned and held his glass up high. "I hear tha' Pallet assent—no, no, accent, that's the word."

Red rose his own cup. "I'll drink t' tha'," he slurred and the two downed the rest of their drinks.

Then Blue peered into his empty cup, unable to stop a pout from forming. "It's empty."

Red suddenly grinned, that strange look coming back to his eyes. This time, Blue didn't even care if he was up to some mischief. "Want somethin' else t' drink?"

 _I should say no._ "Why the fuck not?"

That night, he was reminded why he hated tequila.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drink safely, my friends! :)


	3. Etude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Etude:** _study/practice_

Blue woke up the next morning with not only a pounding headache, but his stomach was swimming in all sorts of directions, his vision was hazy and that and for some reason his left toe hurt. As he debated whether or not he should even move, his dry throat convinced him that he should at least grab a bottle of water. He slowly sat up and went still for a few minutes as his world spun for a solid ten seconds.

 _I woke up drunk because of them._ Although he knew wasn't their fault and he was the one who gladly accepted the drinks, he blamed them for the sake of blaming someone else.

He saw he was still in his clothes from last night, glanced at his night stand and instantly became grateful for the bottle of water that already sat there. Maybe he grabbed it on the way to bed last night, he wasn't too sure. As he downed the entire bottle in one go, he tried to remember what happened after they left. He got to his feet and quickly closed the curtains, happy the room plunged back into darkness and soothed his aching head as he made his way to the bathroom.

 _What is the last thing I remember?_ He frowned as he struggled to regain his lost memories. He'd blacked out before, though it hadn't been a full night. "Lots of people… shots…" He nearly released whatever was in his stomach at the thought. He remembered playing a drinking game that consisted of shots, mostly tequila. _How many shots did we take?_ "Then woke up," he mumbled to himself. "What happened to my foot?" Then he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was in disarray, he had dark circles under his eyes and he scowled at his own reflection before his eyes went down to his left foot.

There was a band-aid on his big toe and it was bruised, then he paused and he glanced at the empty bottle of water behind him in his room. Someone must have helped him get to bed and brought the water to him and even took care of his foot. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he left the bathroom, then sat back down on the bed. Once he grabbed his phone and swiped the dismiss buttons to disregard Leaf's texts, he ran his free hand through his hair. He knew she was demanding to know how his night went, and he also knew he didn't send her anything.

At least he hoped not. _I'm never going drinking with those assholes again._

It was almost eleven in the morning, much later than he usually woke up on any given day and he figured bothering Leaf would just make his hangover worse than it already was. He quickly decided he didn't want to deal with her nor go anywhere with this _amazing_ hangover and set his phone back down onto the nightstand and groaned as he laid down again. He tried reaching for his phone charger but gave up when he couldn't reach and his arm flopped back down on the bed and he didn't bother even moving after that and closed his eyes.

Once he opened them again, he stared off at the wall across him and he furrowed his brows when he realized he had things to do. He had to study, but he knew he would get zero studying done if he just laid here to try and recover from said hangover and he also had to go grocery shopping, his fridge was empty save for a leftover box of chicken from two days ago. He also had to do laundry and clean the apartment in general. _Ugh, adulting. I don't wanna._

He laid in bed, staring at the white ceiling above him. _Dammit._ He got up again, stumbling his way out of his room and stopped in the kitchen, going through the cupboard until he found the nearest bottle of aspirin located above the sink. He took two of the little pills and sighed after he put the bottle away then rubbed his forehead to ease the pounding in his head. _At least there's no lampshade on my—_

He stopped everything when he stared in his living room and for a few brief moments, his headache and nausea went away. There was an extra pair of shoes by the door next to his, where it should have been empty. When his eyes traveled to his couch, there was one quiet and obviously sleeping lump on it covered by a thick blue blanket. He had absolutely zero recollection of letting anyone stay the night and went to it slowly. He doubted it would be someone who was waiting to murder him, they could've done that when he was passed out.

He gently shook the lump and a soft, low groan emitted from it a few moments later though the person stayed asleep. _Who the fuck has a voice that deep?_ Then he noticed dark hair peeking out from one side of the blanket and gently as he could, he lowered enough so he could see his face and stared at the blissfully unaware form that had haunted him for the last couple days. Red didn't move, not even noticing Blue's presence and stayed fast asleep.

Quickly, Blue left him alone and nearly ran into his room again. He snatched his phone from the nightstand and dropped it on the floor, causing him to curse loudly. He scrolled through the three texts Leaf sent him: the first demanding to know what happened, the second telling him May sent her the funniest text, and the third telling him to remember to drink water so he didn't get alcohol poisoning.

 _Red's in my house,_ he quickly typed but he stopped before sending it to her, knowing she would run over here quicker than ever if he told her Red stayed the night. _How am I supposed to tell her he's here?_

He cursed himself and set his phone down again, plugging it in after it flashed that it only had 5% battery life remaining. He stared at the little screen and locked his phone instead, wincing when he smelled his own shirt. It smelled strongly of spilled tequila and he gagged immediately. Keeping it down, he shook his head and peeled off the foul shirt and shoved it into the dirty clothes hamper. _Shower. Now._

Once he'd showered (and felt a hundred times better afterwards), he put on the gray shirt Leaf loathed and a pair of baggy black sweatpants that were hanging off his dresser, hoping they were clean. He left his room again and stopped once he was beside the couch, staring at the still-sleeping Red. He was a beautiful man, even in sleep, even with the messy hair and red lines on his face from the couch indents. _How can someone look that perfect—no, no he is not perfect and he is not beautiful. What am I thinking?_

"Yo, wake up," he said, not surprised at his gravelly voice. He shook Red again, this time hard enough to wake him.

It took a few more tries and Red finally opened his eyes slowly, staring at back of the couch for a solid minute. Blue almost laughed, that was exactly how he felt when he first woke up.

Then he sniffed and made a face, waving the air in front of his nose. "You stink like booze still."

His house guest finally turned his eyes up and he slowly blinked as he struggled to wake up and stayed quiet, not even a groan of objection coming from him.

 _How hard is it for him to wake up?_ Finally he sat up, pushing himself up and sat still for a while as Blue went to the kitchen to fetch some more water and medicine. "Here, this'll help." He set both bottles onto the coffee table and Red just looked at them and Blue knew he was debating just falling back onto the couch cushions to sleep again. "You fall asleep again, I'm kicking you out if you don't have your jacket on or not and you get to walk home in the cold without medicine."

Finally Red looked at him, then quietly said, "Thanks," as he took the medicine and water, draining the bottled water in seconds.

He shrugged, hands on his hips. "Can you tell me what happened? I remember May dragged me off to dance when Brendan got tired and then after that, I woke up here."

Red glanced up at him. "Not surprised." He coughed, ruffling his own hair to try and fix it as though he knew it was all over the place. Honestly, he looked like his own hangover wasn't as bad as Blue's felt. "You are a loud drunk but at least you remembered where your apartment is." He looked around, noticing the decorative living room. "It's really nice. Bonus with no roommate."

"Thank my Gramps for that." He sat down on the couch beside him, groaning as he massaged his head again. "Did anything happen?"

"We played a drinking game that May won, you had a dance-off with some guy at the bar, lost that battle, became best friends with a lamp post on the way here, and then slammed your foot against the corner there." He pointed towards the kitchen counter.

"A lamp post?" he asked with a chuckle.

He nodded, smiling at the memory Blue didn't have. "You told me its name was Gorganon, the Lord of Metal Poles."

"What the fuck?" He had no other way to put it.

Red shrugged. "Other than that, nothing else happened."

 _Thank god._ "Why'd you stay the night?"

Red yawned as he stood up and stretched. "It started to snow when I went outside and I came back. You were asleep when I walked in. Didn't feel like getting lost on my way back home."

"Perhaps I wanted you to freeze out there."

Red ignored that, rubbing his face with a hand.

Blue watched as he went to the bathroom, closing the door behind him and he headed for the kitchen to scrounge for breakfast. He briefly wondered if he should ask if Red was hungry but shook his head. Red was a big boy, he could go find his own food. He scowled at himself as he pulled out the egg carton. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ He was the intruder, he never invited him to stay the night.

He looked back as Red exited and headed back for the couch. "You heading out?" _Please say yes._

Red nodded as he tied the laces to his shoes. "I don't have classes on Thursdays, so you can come by whenever and I'll teach you how to read music. If you have time, we can also record."

He almost forgot about his promise and he stared at the frying eggs that were cooking in the pan. "I'm done with mine at twelve, so I can stop by after."

Red got up, making sure he had everything as he threw his coat and scarf on. He held his hat in one hand as he paused at the door. "Thank you for letting me stay here."

Blue snorted. "Not like I really knew."

He smiled and soon left, leaving Blue alone as the door closed behind him.

In an instant, he felt like the apartment felt emptier without him inside. _He looks good when he smiles._ He then looked back at the pan, flipping both eggs over with a curse as they started to burn.

The day passed by like any normal Saturday, he went out and got his groceries, cleaned his apartment and did the laundry. After he was all done with that, he sat on the floor in front of his coffee table with his calculus book and work spread out all over and studied even as the time neared seven at night. He even had his reading glasses on as he read the book and studied its formulas, glancing up when there was a knock on the door.

He already knew it was Leaf, she did warn him earlier she was going to stop by. Half of him didn't want to deal with her, but she would dig out her spare key from her purse if he didn't answer the door and then she would be even more difficult to speak with.

He got up, taking the glasses off and opened the door. "Leaf, I'm trying to study," he told her as she entered without another word.

"You promised you'd text me last night and I didn't get one until one today!" she accused and jabbed a finger into his chest. "I need to know what happened."

He rolled his eyes and closed the door. "I got drunk and came home."

Leaf grinned as she set her things down by the door. "That's not what May told me."

Blue blinked, confused. He looked down as she pulled out her phone and went through it until she turned the screen to face him and a blaring messages that made a deep blush appear on his face.

 **sapphireeyes [ 07:49 p.m. ]  
**blues an ass man  
_[pic attachment]_

 **me [ 07:51 p.m. ]  
**omg i knew it

He stuttered as he pushed her phone back to her. "I—I am _not_ an ass man!"

She laughed, holding her side with her free hand. "You're blushing so much!"

"Shut up, Leaf!" He looked away in an attempt to hide his face. _Last night was one giant mistake._

Leaf walked around so she could see, grinning. "It's adorable!"

Scowling at her and completely embarrassed, he asked, "What is adorable?"

"You just officially met this guy and you're crushing _so hard_ for him!" She squealed in excitement and he struggled not to roll his eyes at her.

"I do not have a crush on him."

"Actually, you do." She stood up, heading for his kitchen, and he just noticed she was carrying a plastic bag.

"No, I don't—what is that and why is it in my apartment?" he asked as he sat back down on the couch and grabbed his glasses.

"Food." She started pulling the contents out. "You know, the stuff that keeps you alive? You keep studying and telling me the details and I'll make you dinner."

"Bribing me with food won't work."

"Hasn't failed me yet."

It was true, food was a big motivator but he wouldn't admit it. He sat back down onto the floor and grabbed his pencil one more time. "It will this time."

"Uh-huh." He could hear her chopping something, it sounded like lettuce but he could care less as he tried solving the problem in front of him. "What's he like?"

He scowled at the paper, instantly distracted. Having her over and trying to study felt like it wasn't going to work and he just sat there for a few moments. "He's quiet. Doesn't really talk to strangers a lot unless he wants something."

"Which is why he talked to you, I guess." She looked back at him. "What else?"

"Taller than you."

She huffed. "Just because you're tall doesn't mean I'm short."

"Shorter than me automatically makes you short."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But what else? May told me he was pretty decent looking, but of course she also said Brendan was better looking than he is."

 _Pretty sure Red is hotter._ "Uh, I guess he's decent."

"That's not what you look like you're thinking."

Blue looked up and she was grinning at him as she tossed the chopped lettuce into a salad bowl. "Huh?"

"You think he's hot, don't you?"

"No, I don't."

She started to laugh again, pushing the finished salad aside to work on whatever else she had on the counter that he couldn't see. "You've got that look on your face. Anyway, he's quiet, hot, taller than me, what else?"

He put his pencil down, rubbing his head. _She just won't quit, will she?_ "He can handle his alcohol better than I can."

"That isn't hard to do."

He ignored that. "I blacked out last night," he blurted. He didn't look up, knowing she wanted to scold him for drinking so much he didn't remember details. "Before you yell at me, he helped my drunk ass home and he st—"

He stopped himself right there. He was _not_ going to tell her he stayed over. That would just open a door that lead to so many opportunities for Leaf to grab and she would assume the worst (best in her mind, if he knew her well enough) possible situation.

She looked at him when he went silent, blinking with confusion. "'And he' what?"

 _Shit, what do I say now?_ "A-and he told me we can start recording next week." Skipping a part wasn't a lie, right? Blue glanced up at her, seeing her narrow her eyes. _She's suspecting something._

"How do you know he helped you home?"

"He told me." Also not a lie.

She looked suspicious but didn't pressure him then went back to whatever she was doing in his kitchen. "Well, I guess that's good."

He breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at his text books one more time. "Yeah... really is," he said, simply trying to play along.

"You should practice singing, you haven't sung to me in years," she said suddenly. Leaf put something into the oven and went to sit next to him on the couch. "You have a pretty amazing voice."

"Oh, not you too."

"What? I'm serious! You'll sing for him but not for me?"

"He did me a favor by going with me so I wouldn't be the third wheel. Besides, I feel like he's obsessed with my voice, it's all he ever talks about."

"Still unfair."

"You whine too much."

He looked down at his notebook, scowling as he erased one of the problems he'd written down. She was distracting him, he was starting to get the answers wrong.

She looked at his work but it was clear she had no idea what she was looking at. "I'll never understand calculus. Thank god I'm not a science major, I don't have to take it."

He smirked. "I'd teach you, but some of this confuses me, too."

She glanced at him and pulled her hair back, tying it behind her with the hairband on her wrist. "If it confuses you, I know someone who is a math wiz. He could help you."

"Last time you introduced me to new people, I got super drunk."

"Then they became our bffs."

Blue rolled his eyes, knowing Brendan and May were definitely very close to both of them though he didn't want to relive another night like that. "What makes you say this guy can help me?"

"Because he's a double major, math and chemistry." She glanced at his other textbooks that were stacked next to the television. "You may be smart with medicine, but his math skills are so much better than yours it isn't even funny." She grabbed her phone. "I can text him to see if he's able to tutor you if you want."

Blue thought about it and glanced at his book. He _could_ really use the help and decided to agree. "All right. But what's a guy like him doing, studying here?"

She typed away at her phone, not even looking at him as she answered, "That's like asking you why you're still in this school."

He shrugged, turning back to his books. The rest of the night went by fairly quickly and Leaf left around ten to go home, telling him she promised Lyra they would go out and have fun together. He quickly declined her invitation to join them. One night of drunken partying was enough for him.

Sunday was quiet, allowing him to even take a nap before he went out to visit Brendan and May again to watch a movie at their place and left when they started getting frisky with each other. He'd told them to go to their room and he left after they didn't even hesitate to obey and shook his head as he left. _Those two, I swear._

By the time eight-forty Monday morning rolled around, he stepped out of his calculus class with a loud yawn that seemed to echo through the rest of the people leaving the room. Thankfully no one he knew (rather, cared about) took the early morning math classes, making it easy for him to study without all the commotion of the afternoon classmates.

Calculus and economics were a half hour apart, giving him enough time to grab a cup of coffee to help him wake up and it was only easier when the usual nine a.m. crowd was nowhere in sight. At least he wouldn't be late to his easiest class of the semester.

He didn't bother with the cream or sugar that two other people were waiting to use and made his way through the courtyard towards the business buildings. _Hopefully the professor didn't think my paper was as horrible as I think it is,_ he thought as he walked to the door then froze with his hand half-way on the handle.

 _Shit._ Red also took this class.

After standing there for a solid minute, he took a quick, anxious sip of the hot coffee and cursed when it burned him. He entered, scanning the room briefly to see other classmates settling in then breathed a soft sigh of relief when Red wasn't in yet.

He frowned as he sat down at his desk and set his drink down onto it. It was quiet inside as usual, some of the other students had just woken up and were struggling to stay awake even before the class started but his mind was going at the speed of light. How the hell was he supposed to pay attention in class now?

He looked up as the door opened not even a minute later and in came the bane of the race in his head. Red briefly glanced at him and offered a curt nod before he went to his usual spot, farthest from the door and in the back corner. Blue glanced back at him, watching him set his backpack down onto the floor, fold his arms on the desk and promptly plop his head right into the crooks of his elbows.

 _Maybe he is still suffering from the hangover._ He snorted to himself in disbelief, earned a curious look from the girl that sat next to him, ignored her and watched the old teacher enter the room.

Blue usually struggled to pay attention in this class on a regular basis; the professor had a monotone voice so boring it could put anyone to sleep and he taught only what was in the textbook. If it got Blue his credits towards general education, he didn't care. This was one of the easiest classes he had, anyway.

His eyes landed on Red again. The young man was still wearing his beanie and coat and even though he was sitting up, his eyes were staring blankly at the person's coat in front of him, obviously not paying attention to their dull teacher. Blue scowled at him, happy it went unnoticed and decided to try to pay attention to the professor.

It didn't last long.

_Screw you, Red._

He almost caused himself to blush, rubbing his face with both hands and strangely felt like pulling out his own hair with the thoughts going on inside his head.

_Fuck my life._

Economics suddenly became the toughest class of his entire semester.


	4. Poco a Poco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Poco a poco:** _little by little_

"Wrong, that is F."

"I thought this was F."

"No, that's A."

Blue could tell Red was a little frustrated at how stubborn he was being. He was purposefully being that way, pretending he didn't know as much as he was taught and he smirked at the little scowl on the man's flawless face but Red knew what he was doing. Blue still claimed he deserved it for bothering him so much when he was struggling to write the essay that was at least sixty percent of their grade _._

The musical terms were still confusing, especially on his second day at Red's apartment in a row. The younger was so used to being around people who knew all these terms and he tried to slow down and think all the way back to the beginning of his musical training—he struggled to realize that _allegro_ and _forte_ were words that hadn't existed in Blue's vocabulary until today. Even treble and bass clef confused him on Thursday and then when Red added the notes that associated with both clefs the following day, he was completely and totally lost. _And here I thought medicine was hard._

He scratched his cheek in his confusion. Medicine made sense and even calculus was easier than this. Everything had set rules to follow and each step had a reason for the next. Learning how to read music was like learning a whole new language and nothing made sense to him.

"Do we need to go over the notes again?" Red asked.

Blue looked up at him as confidently as he could with a little smile then answered, "It's okay, I know what the notes are."

He clearly didn't believe him and handed him the green binder. "Fine, then tell me what the notes are on this."

He looked down at the music sheet inside the binder in his lap, hesitating as he stared at it. It was a scale sheet, he could at least tell that much. _Reading music is harder than it looks,_ he thought bitterly. Then he shifted, uncomfortable all of a sudden but tried not to let it show. "I still don't see why I have to learn how to read music if you just want me to sing."

Red sighed irritably though Blue didn't feel the least bit guilty. He was determined to make this as difficult as possible for him in any way he could. _I'm being petty, but I don't care._ He even smirked as he leaned back in the chair he sat in.

Red ran a hand through his thick hair as he said, "Please just trust me. I just want you to know the basics. With vocals and the style of music we're working on, you don't necessarily have to read what's written down. Once you learn how to read it, you'll be able to at least know what it's supposed to sound like."

"I think that's the most you've ever said to me at once." Blue snickered when Red rolled his eyes at him, sitting back down in his chair. _Let's just get this over with and then I can go home._ He looked at the sheet and pointed towards one of the circles in between the bars. "So the notes that don't have the line in them, that's F.A.C.E., right? And then the ones that do, there's an acronym for them?"

Red nodded once, looking patient all over again. It was hard for Blue to decipher if he was still irritated or not anymore.

"All I can remember is F.A.C.E. but putting the letters with the dots isn't clicking."

"It's easy, just remember this one will always be F in treble clef." He pointed to the appropriate dot and then shifted it to the bar just below it. "This one is E. Acronyms are your friend. E.G.B.D.F. or 'Every Good Boy Does Fine' if it's too hard for you to remember."

Blue glanced at him. "Acronyms are easy for me. Music is not."

Red snorted. "Which is why you're a science major."

He nodded. "Exactly. Learning medical terminology was easier than this."

He waved it off. "It's fine. But if you learn the basics, the faster we can get the songs recorded."

He frowned at him. "I never agreed to multiple."

"I did say _songs_ at the café."

He couldn't hold back a groan of irritation.

"You should feel lucky I'm not asking you to read the classical pieces. Those I need actual musicians for."

He rose a brow. "I've only ever heard electronic music come from those speakers and headphones. Do you write other styles too?"

Red shrugged. "Classical. Mainly for the project my teacher wants us to do. As much as I like listening to it, I've written a couple pieces before but they take too long to compose and trying to gather enough people to actually play the piece is a whole other story itself."

"Can't you just use computer programs?"

"No. Using synthetic programs doesn't sound the same as a real, live orchestra." He huffed, looking at his computer screen as it fell asleep and he jiggled the mouse to wake it back up. "The symphonic orchestra here doesn't even want to play the pieces we write, so I don't really see the point in writing pieces for them. It's not like they're short on songs either; they can pick what they want to play with centuries of work to choose from. But no, we have to work with an unwilling orchestra that won't even try for our songs because Mozart or Vivaldi or whatever are superior to amateur producers."

Blue found himself chuckling. He decided a ranting Red was amusing, even if it was over something he could never understand. "I take that back, _that's_ the most I've ever heard come out of you at once." He earned himself an annoyed glare, causing him to laugh. _Serves you right._ Though if Red hadn't drunk the canned beer a few minutes ago, he doubted he would have even ranted to Blue. "Hopefully you get to find that orchestra that wants to play your music someday."

He looked at the computer screen again before he turned back towards Blue. "I doubt you'll learn anymore tonight." He reached over and grabbed the binder from his lap.

He breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, learning how to read music was boring and with Red as his unofficial teacher, it was difficult to pay attention to the music sheet. He found himself staring at him more than he was even looking at the papers especially when he stood up to get something and forced himself to not look at his face.

He was trying _anything_ to get himself to stop staring at the man in front of him, even pulling out his phone after Red took the binder from him and squinted at the screen. _I should bring my glasses next time._

 **dancingleaf04 [ 06:22 p.m. ]  
**i want pizza lets get pizza  
bring ur bf  
ill pay

"Leaf wants to have dinner."

Red glanced at him curiously. "Who?"

 _Oh yeah._ He almost hit himself, forgetting that he never told him her name. "Leaf; she's the friend I mentioned before."

He didn't say anything but he gave a small nod to show he understood.

He sighed as he read the messages again. _Really, Leaf?_ "And she wants you to come too."

Red glanced at him as he leaned back in his chair. "You told her about me?"

"I tell her just about everything." Blue stood up, stretching his stiff legs. "You up for some pizza? She's paying."

He instantly nodded. "If she's paying, then that's fine with me." Blue watched him turn back to the computer to turn it off. "Just let me get ready."

"Okay." Blue headed into the living room and grabbed his shoes from beside the door. He felt relieved to be able to move again as the two of them had been sitting in the same spots for what seemed like hours staring at the same music sheet that Red was trying to teach him how to read. _At least I tried today._

Ethan was sitting on the couch with his video games again, though he turned around in his seat once he noticed Blue. "So, are you his best friend or something?" he asked suddenly. "You're here a lot."

Blue paused as he tied the laces of his shoes. "Huh?" he blurted.

He continued as if he hadn't said anything. "He never brings anyone over and you're the only one who comes inside. I mean, Serena comes sometimes, but she just hands him some song lyrics they wrote together and leaves and never comes in. Like, ever. And she's hot, too. I'd bang her if I was Red."

 _I really didn't need to hear that._ He shook his head. "No, I'm not his best friend."

"Oh." He paused before he smiled and snapped his fingers as if he figured out the answer himself. "I get it! You're his boyfriend, right? You guys always have the door closed when you're here."

Blue found himself turning pink and he didn't even need to look at a mirror to figure that out, his face was hot enough for him to figure it out. "No!"

Ethan laughed at his reaction. "You don't need to hide it, dude! He's bi and living with him for so long, my gaydar has increased exponentially and I don't care if you're gay or not, I just—"

"He is my music partner." Red's voice startled both of them and they both looked at him as he sat down in a chair to put his sneakers on.

Blue took in a quiet breath to try and get rid of his blushing. _When the hell did he come in? Is he a ninja?_

"Serena is also your 'music partner.'" Ethan put his hands up, making little quotation signs. He turned around and pulled out his phone when he didn't get an immediate reply. "You don't let her inside, close the door to your room behind you guys and you don't come home at noon the night after you go out."

Blue covered his face with a hand out of sheer embarrassment. _I can see why Red doesn't like him now._ This kid had no idea when to stop, did he?

Red chose not to respond to Ethan as he grabbed his scarf and jacket. "Are you going out again?" When he nodded, Ethan grinned happily and flopped back onto the couch. "House to myself!" he cheered. He waved his hand above the couch in a _go away_ motion. "Bye-bye, see you tomorrow!"

They left rather quickly after that and Red sighed once they were out on the sidewalk, pulling his beanie a bit over his ears when he shivered. "I'm sorry about him," he mumbled.

"I think I know how you feel now. Now I really do feel bad for you." He glanced at him. "He said you're bi, that true?"

"Yes." He glanced up at him as they stepped over a spot of ice. "I'm pretty sure half the university is." He blinked suddenly, looking up at the sky a little as they walked. "Is that why people stare at me?" He looked at Blue again. "What do you think?"

 _Is… he serious?_ He hoped to whoever above he never noticed him staring but if he had, he doubted Red would say anything about it. He coughed into his hand, making his companion blink curiously as he waited for an answer. "Uh, well. You do look nice. You're certainly fashionable. Maybe that's why."

Red shrugged. "I guess."

 _He's as dense as a rock._ Did he really not see himself as one of the hottest people Blue and probably everyone else had ever laid eyes upon? Either that or he was just being humble about it. He decided to change the subject, seeing they would get nowhere in the current discussion. "You'll like Leaf. She's nice, and she actually knows when to stop annoying people."

Red suddenly looked unsure. "She won't make us have a drinking contest, will she?"

He laughed, shaking his head. That was how he'd met Brendan and May the first time as well, with a drinking contest between he and Brendan. He didn't need to say who won that game. "No, she doesn't drink a lot. But if she does, she can probably out drink both of us. Her tolerance for alcohol is very high for her body size. We're going to go pick them up first."

He looked up at him. "Them?"

He was really enjoying omitting details tonight, wasn't he? "Sorry, Leaf and Lyra. Lyra is her roommate. Don't worry, you'll like her too." _I hope._ Lyra was a younger version of Leaf, inside and out. The two were cousins, so he wasn't too surprised at the similarities.

They approached the small apartment complex twenty minutes later, but Blue didn't bother going to the stairs to the second or third floor. Leaf and Lyra lived on the first floor and as they got closer, he noticed the apartment lights were on and they could hear two girls yelling at each other excitedly and Blue sighed. "I'm sorry, they're loud when they're put together. They're probably crying over some drama they're watching on T.V."

Red glanced at the door with silent contemplation.

Blue knocked loudly and someone burst into laughter a couple of seconds later and Lyra's voice shouted, "Shut up, Leaf!" The door opened and a short girl answered, grinning up at Blue as soon as she saw him. "Hi, Blue!" Then her eyes traveled to Red, looking at him up and down and went between the two of them as she grinned again. "You must be Red."

Red nodded once.

Her mouth opened to say something else, but Blue interrupted with, "Whatever Leaf told you, it's wrong."

The girl snickered, holding the door open for the two to come in. "I wasn't gonna say anything," she replied.

Leaf was sitting up from the couch and turned off the television then stood up to face them, smiling politely at Red. "Hi, I'm Leaf," she said and hugged him in greeting.

"You seem to be missing your pants again," Blue said with a scowl.

He could tell she was ignoring his words but he wasn't sure if she caught Red's stiff posture and embarrassed face as he looked away politely to avoid looking at her bare legs. "The less clothes you have on, the less you can be embarrassed around new people!" she said cheerfully and grabbed her pants that were hanging off of the back of the couch and ran off to grab a hair tie.

Blue sighed, glancing at Red. "I'm sorry you had to meet her like this."

"You have… interesting friends," he answered quietly.

"Interesting is putting it mildly."

They were walking outside in a few minutes to the pizza parlor that was a five minute walk away. It was cold as usual, but with November quickly coming to an end, it was only going to get colder and it was something Blue dreaded. He was going to freeze to death before he could graduate. He swore to himself he would move somewhere it didn't snow once he was done with college and then med school.

As they walked, he almost slipped on ice and Leaf took hold of Blue's arm to hold him steady with a snicker while Lyra and Red walked past them without so much as a backwards glance. _Maybe they wouldn't notice if I slipped and cracked my head open._ He gave their backs an annoyed glare. _Remind myself never to go out walking with them alone._

He glanced down at Leaf when she tugged his jacket sleeve gently to catch his attention. "That is not 'decent'," she whispered to him. "He's like one of those super GS Magazine models you never get to see in person." She then looked directly at Red's lower back. "He is _sexy_. I'm surprised you haven't hit that yet."

"Leaf—" Blue started but hadn't the chance to finish what he was going to say when she interrupted him.

"May was right too, his ass is fine." She looked up at him, giving him a small nod and a thumbs-up. "I approve."

"Leaf, you can't approve anything you don't have control over."

"The fine ass? I wonder how he got it. Might be genetics. You're the scientist, what do you think?"

 _She's going to be the death of me someday._ He sighed as they lingered behind, not that Lyra or Red noticed. The five-foot-three girl was chatting away happily with Red, who didn't seem to be listening anymore as they neared the bright building. "I'm not a scientist. I'm studying to be a doctor."

Leaf shrugged. "Science, doctor, same thing." She was talking normally now to be heard over the cars that were driving past them.

"Medical science is completely different than your typical chemistry lab. Remember when you almost blew your station up two years ago? Brain surgery can't help that."

"Hey, that isn't my fault, Silver pranked me two days before and I had to get back at him somehow!"

"And that's why he doesn't like you in the kitchen, he's afraid you'll burn it down."

"That was one time!" She held up a finger, shoving it into Blue's face to make sure he got the point. "One!"

They caught up to Red and Lyra soon when the two looked behind them when they started to bicker, the former curious and the latter annoyed. "Hey, giant and his lady, are we gonna go inside or not?" Lyra asked, motioning for the door.

"Leaf, I take that back. You aren't short. She's short," Blue told her. He grinned as he patted her head. "A dwarf, even."

She swatted at his hand instantly as he pulled it back. "Hey!"

Crimson eyes glanced towards him. "The shorter they are, the meaner they get," Red warned with a smirk.

"Thank you," Lyra told him and Blue rolled his eyes at them.

Leaf snickered. "I like him," she told her best friend and followed them inside.

They had their pizza shortly after, alongside a nice pitcher of beer Lyra was unable to share with for the time being. She pouted about it, but Leaf reminded her that they were in public and she still had a year until she was old enough to drink.

After another bickering session between Blue and Leaf, Lyra decided it was time to head home when she mentioned it was beginning to snow outside. They walked quickly, careful of any ice that they could slip on and once they approached Lyra and Leaf's street, the elder lady turned to face Blue. "I'll see you tomorrow, Blue!" Leaf said and waved as she ran to catch up to Lyra.

"I have to study, you intruding butthead!" Blue retorted and turned around.

"I know, I'll be over at three!"

Blue sighed, wiping snow from his nose. "She's just going to distract me from my studying again. She did that last Saturday night, you know. Came in my place like she owned it, made me dinner too."

"You two sound like an old married couple," Red replied.

He groaned. "First of all, no, second of all, _hell_ no. She's just a friend, I'm not attracted to her like that."

"Never said you were, now did I?"

He narrowed his eyes at him. "You can get sassy, are you sure you aren't that mute kid in econ anymore?"

"I'm so offended, what am I ever going to do?"

"I'm starting to think sarcasm is your first language."

As they neared his street, Blue cursed to himself as Red waved him farewell and kept walking to head for his shared apartment. He didn't want Red to go even though he had to study as well. He wanted someone to keep him company; he decided that would be his excuse. He watched him start to walk to the corner and looked both ways as he waited for the cars to stop coming before he could cross.

Was he really going to ask him to stay? What if he had things to do? Blue couldn't intrude if he was falling behind in classes, but for some reason he didn't think that would be an issue. "Hey, Red?" He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at his feet as he made fists inside his pockets anxiously. _Why the hell am I so nervous?_

Red glanced at him curiously, having already taken one step to jog across. He pulled his foot back. When he was met with silence, he blinked. "What?"

 _What the hell am I doing?_ He felt himself starting to blush and he was thankful the cars were coming towards Red so his blush could at least be hidden. "Do… you want to come inside? Watch a movie or something?"

He seemed surprised about the question but briefly glanced behind him as he thought about his offer. Blue thought he would reject, Red probably had some studying to do to and had to work on his music project. He didn't expect the innocent answer he gave. "I fall asleep during movies."

He tried not to laugh. "You fall asleep during movies?"

Red nodded. "It's why I don't own the T.V. That's all Ethan's." He turned around to walk back to Blue. "I guess one couldn't hurt. It keeps me away from him longer."

"If that's your only motivation, that's pretty sad."

He shrugged as he walked alongside him.

Trying to stay calm was Blue's hardest task as they walked to his apartment together. Outside, he kept his hands in his pockets as he played with the lint inside the pockets while inside, he was screaming. Mostly it was, _what the hell did I just invite him to do?_

As they stepped inside, Red looked at the coffee table that was littered with paper and glanced at the open textbook. Blue laughed when his face twisted with sudden confusion when he tried to understand the advanced formulas. "This is something you wouldn't get, Mr. Musician," he told him as he took his coat and hung it on the back of the dining room chair. "It's pretty advanced, even for me."

Red looked up at him. "Looks like. Are you a genius or something?"

Blue laughed. "I'm just book smart is all. I graduated high school when I was fourteen."

He was impressed and looked at the book again. "Damn. I graduated when I was eighteen. I'm afraid I'm normal."

He snorted. _You don't look normal at all._

"You sure you should be in this school and not in medical or a grad school?"

"Next winter I will go to med school." He turned on his television. "It'll take more studying, though."

"I don't think you'll have a hard time with it, then. I believe you can do it."

Blue glanced up at him as he went around the couch to take his shoes off by the door. He gulped a bit, tearing his eyes away from his ass one more time. _I have to stop doing that._ "I don't exactly own movies, but we can stream some."

Red nodded and came back around to sit on the couch. They sat together going through the different movies that were listed on the website until they finally found a comedy because according to Red, Ethan may be one of the most annoying people he knew but he had good recommendations for movies. Blue put his feet on the coffee table after about an hour into it and glanced to his left, trying to make sure his guest was awake.

 _He wasn't kidding._ He could have been falling asleep since it was almost eleven at night, but he doubted that was the case. The younger man was struggling to stay awake and leaned back against the couch. He could tell he was basically asleep at this point, even if he was trying to keep his eyes open. Blue laughed a little, causing Red to look at him, blinking wearily. "You awake over there?"

Red grunted, yawned and suddenly Blue's lap was his newest pillow, his face turned towards the hallway that led to his bedroom. Blue froze immediately and looked down at him. _W-what—? What's he doing?!_

He tried shaking his shoulder but the raven head didn't stir, not even when the characters on the screen started yelling obscenities at each other.

Blue's face turned as red as a tomato and he gulped loudly. Was this man trying to give him an aneurysm? If so, he was doing a damn fine job. He didn't make another sound, just stared at Red for a good five minutes before he reached for the remote beside him on the arm of the couch and turned off the blaring television.

He wasn't sure what to do as the living room plunged into darkness and silence overcame them. The only source of light was the dim little bulb above the stove, casting soft shadows towards them. He could barely see Red's features in the darkness and he wanted to scream, wondering if he should just shove him off or not.

It didn't feel unwelcome yet he didn't know what to do. He could simply shove him off and let him fall onto the floor, that would certainly wake him up. Blue also knew that he could just let him sleep on the couch again. It wasn't like Ethan was expecting his roommate to come home anyway.

After a few more minutes of thinking of what to do, he found his hand was inches from his hair and the blush appeared all over again when he stopped himself. He bit the bottom of his lip as his hand opened up again and he reached for a few loose strands of Red's dark, thick hair. _What am I doing?_ he asked himself. He ran his fingers through it, surprised at its softness. _It's so soft._

He shook his head, positive Red would kill him if he knew what he had done. _Why am I doing this?_ He retracted his hand quickly, feeling Red suddenly begin to stir. He gulped as he saw crimson eyes stare up at him. "In case you want to know, I use a dry conditioner every morning after I shower," Red said groggily.

Blue's face was extremely pink, and there was nothing he could do to hide himself from Red's view. _Thank god it's dark._ It was his only blessing and he hoped that his blushing would remain hidden. "You're doing this on purpose," he accused.

"I fell asleep on accident," he answered as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I don't see how that's on purpose."

"Are you sure about that?"

He nodded. "I did warn you I fall asleep during movies."

Blue stared at him. "I can't believe it," he said quietly. Did he actually mean it? He glanced at his lap, already missing Red's presence on it.

"What?"

"You're not serious, are you?"

Red turned towards him, looking lost.

Blue started to laugh. "Literally. You _literally_ fall asleep during movies. You _fell asleep_ in my lap."

He stared then slowly nodded. "That's what I told you, didn't I? I fall asleep."

He ran a hand through his hair and stopped laughing though his smile was still there. _How do you make me do that?_ "You… you're impossible."

He looked completely confused. "Uh… why?"

Blue rolled his eyes and stood up. "Nothing." He glanced outside, seeing that it was still snowing hard and he went towards the hall without anymore explanation. "I'll get some blankets for you."

Red sat there in bewilderment, slowly blinking as his host turned on the hall light and disappeared down the hall then gingerly touched his head.

Blue could understand that silent question both of them refused to ask. _What just happened?_

He had a funny feeling neither of them knew the answer.


End file.
